Hey everyone! I am terribly sorry for the rather long wait but midterms, Christmas, yadda yadda.... and I am finally back into the routine of school (unfortunately).

Thanks once again to my faithful reviewers as well as my beta reader, Badbugz. This story wouldn't be as far as it is now without you guys.

On with the chapter!

Chapter twenty nine- Being Harry Potter Again

"Doesn't he remember me from yesterday though?" Severus asked quietly as he glanced back at Damien who was now surrounded by his friends and talking to them heatedly.

Poppy shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid not." She sighed. "He probably gets a brief flash of a man that looked similar to you that he met when he was ten but you must remember, he only had the mind of a ten year-old for a couple hours so he wouldn't really remember much of you supposedly two years later."

Severus nodded. "I knew he was going to hate me but I would have at least thought he'd remember me from yesterday." He looked forlornly back at Damien.

"I still don't get why Snape always insists on sticking around here," Damien huffed with his arms folded as he glared at nothing in particular. Ginny glanced at Ron and Hermione and sighed softly.

"He cares about you."

Damien snorted. "Last I heard, he tried to get Ron and I expelled for coming to Hogwarts in that flying car," he grinned at Ron. "I thought we would be expelled for sure!"

Ron forced a smile. "Yeah, well…..um…..we weren't," he muttered lamely, obviously not used to Damien with a twelve year-old mind. Ginny glared at him before returning to Damien.

"Oh yeah," Damien said to Ginny. "I've been meaning to ask you. Did you get sorted into Gryffindor?"

Ginny winced but nodded as she glanced at the looming figure of Damien's father.

"You sure have grown since last year, Ginny," Damien murmured, eyeing Ginny up and down. Ginny blushed, Ron frowned, and Hermione giggled.

"I think you three should be getting to class," Severus said as he walked over to them. "Your next class starts in five minutes," he informed them.

Hermione nodded and picked up her bag. "Yes, we need to be getting to Defense, come on Ron." She gave Damien a quick hug and walked away with Ron. Ginny looked as if she wanted to hug him, but stopped at the confused look on his face. She retreated and sighed. This Damien didn't know her at all. This Damien was only twelve. After bidding goodbye, she regrettably left also.

"Would you like some lunch?" Severus offered. Damien scowled at him and sniffed. "Why are you being so nice to me Professor?" he snapped, obviously miffed. "I thought you hated me."

Severus winced but sighed. "Just eat, Dam-Harry," he said and set the tray that he had been carrying down on the table.

Damien continued to glare at him as he cautiously picked up a sandwich. He sniffed it experimentally as if convinced that it was poisoned before glancing once more at Severus and finally taking a bite. Severus's heart ached as Damien glared at him in hatred again. This was definitely going to be a long day.

Severus watched him eat and thought amusedly; At least he hasn't looked in a mirror…

He quickly frowned though.

He was going to hate to deny the boy seeing Black once he remembered him…

&&&&&&&&&&

"Why can't I see Sirius?" Damien asked Dumbledore. The older wizard sighed and saddened. "I've told you, Harry, he is in hiding, remember?"

Harry swallowed and bent his head. "Yeah…." He paused for a moment and frowned. "Wait a minute. I thought he was on a mission."

Dumbledore blinked. How much did Damien remember?

"Harry," he began cautiously. "How old are you?"

Damien stared at him. "I'm fifteen," he said slowly, eyeing Dumbledore as if he were mad. "Why?"

"No reason," Dumbledore said quickly. A little to quickly in Damien's opinion, he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What do you think of your new Defense teacher?" Dumbledore asked cautiously, wanting to know exactly how much Damien knew.

Damien made a face. "No offense, Professor, but she's a horrible teacher. She said that Cedric's death was a freak accident!" Dumbledore nodded slowly.

"Do you know what Occlumency is?"

Damien nodded at once. "Yeah, does it really have to be Snape that trains me? Why can't you do it? And why have you been avoiding me all year?"

Dumbledore smiled mentally. At least Damien was finally starting to regain all of his memories. "I am sorry, my boy. I have been unusually busy this year." Damien nodded in understanding though some hurt was evident in his green orbs. Dumbledore winced mentally. Had Damien really been that affected by he not talking to him?

"My first lesson is tomorrow night," Damien said miserably. Dumbledore blinked out of his daze. "I apologize, Da-Harry, but what did you say?"

"I said my first Occlumency lesson is tomorrow," Damien shivered.

Dumbledore sighed again and comforted himself with the thought that Damien would soon be himself again…..

&&&&&&&&&&&

Severus braced himself for what personality Damien would wake up with next. He really wanted this whole thing to be over. Miss Weasley along with Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger had come down at least four times a day in the past two days. Even Miss Parkinson had tried to visit Damien but she couldn't unfortunately since she didn't know of Damien's true identity and Damien would most certainly give it away. Severus had received a total of three letters in the last two days from Draco Malfoy asking of news on Damien's health. It warmed him to know that there were so many people who were waiting for Damien to recover, people who really loved him.

Damien groaned and stirred slightly. Severus peered at his son's face curiously and mentally braced himself as well as the green eyes fluttered open slowly.

Damien stared at him in confusion for a moment before he said in a slurred, tired voice, "Severus?"

Severus smiled slightly. "Hello Damien."

Damien frowned. "Who? Oh yea, that's me isn't it?"

Severus nodded slowly. Damn. The boy still didn't have all of his memories back but at least he didn't hate him….

"What is the last thing you remember?" he asked gently as he helped the boy up. Damien stretched leisurely.

"I remember falling asleep in your private rooms after that horrible Occlumency lesson we had," Damien shivered and Severus blinked.

"After we made up from that fight?"

Damien looked at him oddly. "Yeah…" he said slowly and Severus nodded. Damien suddenly shot up. "What time is it!" he asked. "I need to get to my classes." He made to get out of bed but Severus held him back.

"Relax, Damien, you don't have to go to classes."

"And why not? It's not the weekend!" Damien exclaimed and Severus chuckled slightly. "Calm down. There are more important things then your grades."

Damien arched an eyebrow. "Coming from a teacher." Severus merely smiled at him. "Just get some rest, okay?"

Damien scowled in a perfect resemblance of his father before flinging himself back onto the pillows.

"Fine, but if I fail a class because of to many absences, I'm blaming you!"

&&&&&&&&&&

Severus looked up from his book as Damien stirred and groaned in his sleep. He carefully set the book down and stared at the face as it shifted between sleep and pain.

A stray piece of hair fell into Damien's eyes and Severus absently reached out to brush it away. At the touch of his cool hand, Damien's eyes fluttered open awkwardly, unfocussed and confused.

Damien's breathing increased rapidly and he jerked. "Dad….?" he moaned in a slurred voice. Severus immediately grabbed one hand. "I'm here, son," he whispered. Damien groaned again in pain as his breathing evened out.

The green eyes focused on Severus. "Dad," relief was evident in the voice.

"Are you alright? What do you remember? Are you in any pain?" Severus asked worriedly.

Damien shifted and sat up, an instant later; he had flung his arms around his father's neck, squeezing him tightly as if he were afraid Severus would disappear if he let go. "I was afraid I'd never see you again. I-I saw you when Voldemort was……" he trailed off and shivered in his father's arms. "I remember you holding me and telling me everything would be okay but I thought it was a dream but now I know that it wasn't and I couldn't remember you! I couldn't remember anything and I tried to but everything was so hazy and-" he rambled thoughtlessly.

Severus held the boy to him, savoring the feeling of his son in his arms that he had taken for granted before. He listened to Damien talk, merely listening to the voice, welcoming the sound he thought he'd never hear again. He felt relief wash over him like never before. Everything was going to be okay. Damien was safe; Damien was alive and well. Everything was going to be okay….

"It's okay," he interrupted the panicked murmuring. "I'm here and I swear that I will never let anything happen to you like this ever again…" he whispered, rubbing a hand up and down the boy's back.

Over his shoulder, Damien pondered on his father's statement, feeling touched by it but knowing that it was an impossible task to be completed.

&&&&&&&&&&

"This is bad."

"You've said that."

"This is very bad."

"Yes, I know."

"This-"

"Okay, okay! We get the point!"

Dumbledore chuckled softly. Damien folded his arms and scowled at the headmaster. "And just what is so amusing about this may I ask?" Severus asked coolly from the chair at his son's bedside. "Nothing, nothing Severus," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled for the first time in days. "I was merely thinking of how the two of you are so much alike."

Damien didn't know how to respond and settled on keeping the scowl planted on his face. "Will you get your head out of the clouds!" Severus snapped. "We have three supposed Death Eaters that have escaped from Azkaban, two of which who are hiding in the Order's headquarters might I remind you?" he sneered at Dumbledore's serene expression. "And we have absolutely no idea what to do with the other."

"I'm sitting right here you know," Damien spoke sharply.

"We are well aware of that," Severus said lazily. Damien bristled. "Well stop talking as if I'm not!"

"Calm down, Damien. I don't think it will help your healing process," Dumbledore sounded cheerful. He became serious. "We need to act quickly. It is only a matter of time before Voldemort makes it known that Draco and Damien are no longer in his possession. The first place they will look is here."

Severus nodded wordlessly. Damien shifted uncomfortably, an idea coming to him. He pondered on it for a moment before shaking his head. No; he didn't want to do something as extreme as that.

It took him a moment to realize the familiar prickling sensation in the back of his mind. With a startled gasp, he quickly occluded his mind, turning to look right into Dumbledore's clear, blue eyes but it was to late.

"What an excellent idea, Damien!" Dumbledore exclaimed cheerfully. Damien let out a growl of annoyance in the back of his throat. "Will you keep to your own mind!" he snapped irritably. Dumbledore smiled calmly. "One must learn to always be aware, Damien, even in times of peace."

"What is it, Albus?" Severus interrupted swiftly. Damien folded his arms and sat back, glaring at the old man in front of him. "I won't do it," he told the smiling face bluntly.

"We'll see about that, Damien," Dumbledore's voice was still peaceful. Damien almost cringed in disgust. How could someone manage to remain too serene?

"You can't make me."

"Make you do what?" Severus interrupted again, obviously getting miffed at being left out of the conversation.

"I can't make you but your father can," Dumbledore's smile widened. "Which I'm sure he will. It is the only choice we have and the only way to keep you safe."

"Why can't I just go into hiding like Draco and Mr. Malfoy?" Damien asked wearily.

"You know you can't, Damien. Your schooling is far more important than that of the young Mr. Malfoy's and you know why," Dumbledore responded sternly.

"Would either of you care to inform of what you are talking about?" Severus growled irritably. Damien sneered at the headmaster and remained silent.

"Well, Damien here came up with the idea of recasting the glamour over himself to look like Harry Potter once again and 'coming out of training,'" Dumbledore smiled. "I'm rather surprised I didn't think of it myself…."

"I did not want to do that!" Damien snapped, his eyes flashing. "It just crossed my mind and I wasn't going to say anything until you invaded my privacy……..again."

"Wait a minute," Severus spoke up. "When I first found out that Damien was my son, you told me that there was no possible way to recast the charms."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Ah, yes, and now look at the two of you. Why, if we had recast the charms then you two wouldn't be where you are now."

"So we could have just recast the charms to begin with?" Severus asked through clenched teeth. "Why did you lie to me?"

"Now, Severus," Dumbledore tried to reason. "You know as well as I do that had I told you the truth then you would have suggested recasting the charms of Damien instantly and then you two would still hate each other." His expression softened. "I did what I what I had to and it turned out to be the best thing that's happened to the two of you."

Severus scowled. "You should have been a Slytherin." Dumbledore chuckled. "So I've been told."

Damien was watching the two of them silently.

Dumbledore turned back to Damien. "I am sorry for invading your privacy, Damien, but I knew that you were thinking of something." He smiled again. "But undoubtedly to stubborn to say anything."

"That's because I didn't want to," Damien grumbled, his arms still folded in a carbon copy of his father.

"Why Damien?" Severus asked softly. "You need to be safe and if this is the only way…."

"But I don't want to be Harry Potter anymore," Damien muttered quietly. He looked into his father's eyes. "I want to be your son."

Severus's gaze softened considerably. Dumbledore cleared his throat and spoke carefully, "Sometimes, we have to make sacrifices to protect ourselves and the ones we love….even if those sacrifices are hard." Damien lowered his head in resignation.

"Then where will I….er…Damien Snape be?" he asked quietly.

"As far as the wizarding world knows, with Voldemort," Dumbledore answered immediately. "And as far as the Dark Lord knows, in hiding somewhere," Severus added.

Damien looked up. "Won't Voldemort be suspicious of Harry Potter just popping back up?"

"Maybe," Dumbledore said slowly, pondering on this. "It is a possibility……and a risk that we will have to take." He turned his wizened gaze to the boy in front of him. "We need to keep you safe."

"I know," Damien muttered. "Without me, Voldemort wins. I'm the only one who can defeat him."

"Do you honestly think that is the only reason why we want to keep you safe?" his father asked incredulously. He grasped both of Damien's shoulders firmly, gently forcing the boy to look at him.

"You are my son, Damien and…" he swallowed and continued almost cautiously. "..and…and I love you."

Damien stared at him in shock. Sure he had always known but his father had never actually spoken those three words out loud. The only other people he had heard it from was Ginny and Hermione, but their declarations had been for, in Ginny's case, a passionate kind of love, one between that of a husband and a wife, and, in Hermione's case, a love between two friends, like the love a brother and a sister felt for one another. Both had been a different love then his father felt for him. It was a paternal love, one that he knew that someone was looking out for him, that there was someone out there who would protect him and comfort him in a way that Ginny and his other friends never could.

"I….I love you too, Dad," he spoke unsurely, as if afraid that his father would sneer at him for such sentiments. Severus smiled, a true, genuine smile. One that Damien rarely saw on his father's face.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I wish I had a camera."

"Oh, bugger off," Damien muttered and the old man chuckled.

"I just want what's best for you," Severus said, pointedly ignoring Dumbledore. "I want you to be safe."

Damien looked at the ground and started slightly when he felt a hand gently forcing his head up to meet his father's eyes once again.

"Please, Damien."

Damien stared at the begging expression on his father's face and let out a breath he hadn't known that he'd been holding.

"Fine."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Harry! It's so good to see you!" Hermione flew at him, catching him in a bear hug as she nearly squeezed the life out of him. Damien, or Harry again, grinned and embraced her tightly also, taking caution to play the part.

Ron gripped his shoulder briefly. "Good to see you again, mate!"

"How was your training, Harry?" Neville Longbottom asked nervously. Harry shrugged one shoulder. "Hard," his tone suggesting that the subject should be dropped.

"I bet you're some kind of super-wizard or something now," Dean Thomas winked at Harry. "Gonna kick Draco Malfoy's ass now?"

"Or maybe you could just do us all a favor and turn him into a nice, white ferret permanently?" Seamus Finnagan suggested cheerfully and they erupted into laughter.

Justin Finch-Fletchley nodded. "The ferret finally got the guts to actually go groveling to You-Know-Who."

"Yeah," Collin Creevy piped up. "The Dark Mark was found on his forearm along with that git, Damien Snape."

"Just be glad you didn't come early enough to meet him," Dean went on. "Woo! That kid was messed up! He appeared to have his houses confused and seemed to think he should act like a Gryffindor!"

Harry's eyes clouded slightly and the atmosphere cooled a little. "Yeah….um…have they caught Malfoy or Snape yet? I didn't get the Dailey Prophet."

Seamus shook his head solemnly. "Not yet, mate. But it's only a matter of time before the Ministry catches them." He smirked. "I always knew that Snape was a Death Eater but Snape jr. didn't seem to have enough guts to be one." His smirk turned to a sneer. "I don't get why they don't just lock up Snape as well before he takes his wand out and blasts us all."

"He wouldn't do it under Dumbledore's nose," Justin reasoned. "You know Dumbledore would kill him if he did."

"Let's not get our hopes up though," came another voice from behind Harry but he didn't turn to see who it was as everyone, save a few, chuckled at the comment.

Harry grit his teeth and furiously clenched his right fist. Calm, just be calm…he told himself as he focused on staring straight ahead.

Dean grasped his shoulder briefly like Ron had. "I got bad news though, mate," he sounded angry. "Snape jr. got to Ginny before you could, you know."

Harry blushed furiously, seeing red in his vision. He wanted nothing more then to turn around and curse every single person (bar Ron and Hermione) that was now crowded around him…….except maybe Neville, who had remained silent after his careful question.

"Oh darn," he spoke calmly, though his voice dripped with sarcasm. He pulled himself out of the crowd around the Gryffindor table and strode out of the Great Hall quickly, never even looking up at the calls that rang out to him from his classmates.

Harry burst out of the Hall-and immediately ran into his father…….or Snape now. He glanced up at the man and cleared his throat nervously, giving a meek, "Sorry Professor," as he watched the man guardedly.

Snape sneered at him. "Five points from Gryffindor for purposefully running into a professor!" he snapped and Harry inwardly winced.

"I didn't purposely run into you!" Harry yelled furiously after his retreating back as he spotted Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil watching them curiously from the staircase.

Snape froze and slowly turned back to him. "That will be ten more points for talking back to a teacher," he said calmly, glaring at the two girls on the staircase. "Next time you make a pathetic attempt such as this one to show off I suggest you try to control the urge."

Harry seethed outwardly as the man strode away while Parvati gushed about how powerful he must be now. Inwardly, he snorted.

Oh this is going to be fun.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Tell me, Wormtail," a cold voice demanded as long, pale fingers trailed the front page of a newspaper. "Why is it that Harry Potter and Damien Snape have never been at Hogwarts at the same time?"

The front page read, Harry Potter Comes Out of Hiding at Last!

The smaller man shuddered from his place on the floor beside a large chair that was perched in front of a roaring fire. "I d-don't know, my Lord," his voice shook with terror and the man in the chair seemed to take both pleasure and annoyance in that.

"You truly are pathetic!" he hissed quietly, as if it were a common thing to be said. The smaller man flinched and murmured nonsense to himself. The other ignored him.

"Then tell me this, Wormtail, where is Damien Snape? Or can your miniscule brain not put two and two together like a child could?" the man in the chair spat.

The smaller form shivered. "In hiding, my Lord?" he asked cautiously. The caution quickly morphed into fear.

"Crucio," the curse was issued so carelessly and the smaller man known as Wormtail let out a shrill wail as he squirmed piteously on the floor. After a couple minutes, the screams faded away as Wormtail lost his voice and the man in the chair chuckled darkly before lifted the curse.

"Can you not answer a question as simple as this right?" he sneered. "I don't even understand why I tolerate your presence. You are not smart, you are a coward, and you posses no specialty or any strong magic whatsoever."

Wormtail shifted uncomfortably, trying desperately not to think about the Wizard's Debt he owed to one Harry Potter. If his master occluded his mind and found that information, he'd be dead where he stood. He already was on bad terms with the Dark Lord compared to all the other Death Eaters, he knew he was by far the worst one but he didn't have anywhere else to go. Dumbledore wouldn't accept him that was for sure and he was dead to the Wizarding World.

"You really don't understand do you?" Voldemort sneered at his shaking form. "Damien Snape is Harry Potter. Did you not see the way Damien reacted when I was close to him? By the time Damien Snape was introduced, Harry Potter had already gone into his 'training' and by the time Harry Potter comes out of his training, Damien Snape is supposedly in hiding." He paused for a moment and rose from the chair, pacing furiously. "How could I have not have seen it before?" he growled, angry with himself. "Only a fool wouldn't be able to make this discovery." He smirked. "And it appears that nearly the whole of the Wizarding World are fools."

Wormtail thought on this information. Did that mean that Harry was really Snape's son? Or was it just an act? He thought back to his school days and remembered Lily Evans. She had been in love with James that was for sure; at least by their seventh year that is but before that, in their sixth year Lily had befriended Snape. He blanched, but would she really sleep with him? The thought made him gag and he instead decided on thinking about how they could use this to their advantage.

"Perhaps, my Lord," he began fearfully, shrinking back when his master focused those red eyes on him. "Maybe…..maybe it would be to our advantage if w-we informed the M-ministry about this l-little discovery…." He trailed off, bracing himself for another Cruciatus. It didn't come.

Voldemort frowned on that information and pondered. "It would be," he admitted thoughtfully. "Damien Snape did break out of Azkaban and is labeled as a Death Eater," he smirked ruthlessly. "And he is now on the Most Wanted List, or so I've heard." A chuckle. "What irony; the Wizarding World is going to help me destroy their savior."

A/N- Okay, so that's done. What do ya think?

Tell me please!